Investigating How the Use of Technology Can Reduce Missed Appointments: Quantitative Case Study at a General Practitioner Surgery

TL;DR

This study shows that using SMS text messages in a UK GP surgery significantly reduced missed appointments over 10 years.

Contribution

The study provides quantitative evidence that SMS systems can reduce missed appointments in primary care.

Findings

Text messaging reduced missed appointments by 42.8% over 10 years.

Young adults aged 20-25 had the highest missed appointment rates despite high mobile phone use.

SMS systems improved appointment efficiency by enabling timely cancellations.

Abstract

SMS texting systems have been considered a potential solution to reduce missed appointments in primary care. Existing research in this area focuses on qualitative studies investigating the attitudes of SMS text users and receivers.

This study aimed to examine appointment data from an independent general practitioner (GP) surgery in Wrexham, United Kingdom, with approximately 15,000 patients, to determine the impact of text messaging systems on reducing missed appointments. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the use of text messages can effectively reduce missed appointments.

To collect data for the study, SQL reports were run on EMIS Web, the United Kingdom’s most widely used clinical system. The data spanned 10 years, from September 1, 2010, to March 31, 2020. Data accuracy was verified by cross-referencing with appointment diary records. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, chosen for their suitability in comparing groups in nonparametric settings, were conducted in Microsoft Excel due to its accessibility.

Statistical analyses were conducted to compare data before and after implementation of the text messaging system. The results revealed a significant 42.8% reduction in missed appointments (before: 5848; after: 3343; P<.001). Further analysis of demographic characteristics revealed interesting trends, with no significant difference in missed appointments between genders, and variations observed across different age groups. The median number of missed appointments was not significantly different between genders (women: 1.55, IQR 1.11-2.16; men: 1.61, IQR 1.08-2.12; P=.73). Despite the prevalence of mobile phone use among young adults aged 20-25 years, the highest rates of missed appointments (848/7256, 11.7%) were noted in this group, whereas the lowest rates were noted in the 75-80 years age group (377/7256; 5.2%; P<.001). Analysis by age and gender indicated inconsistencies: women aged 20-25 years (571/4216) and men aged 35-40 years (306/3040) had the highest rates of missed appointments, whereas women aged 70-75 years (177/4216) and men aged 75-80 years (129/3040) had the lowest rates (P<.001 for both).

This study demonstrates that SMS text messaging in primary care can significantly reduce missed appointments. Implementing technology such as SMS text messaging systems enables patients to cancel appointments on time, leading to improved efficiency in primary care settings.

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